Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Of Healing Love
Summary: Revamp of "The Kill" by Of Broken Love. Uchiha Madara is one of the most successful men in Japan. He has fame, he has power, he has money; but the one thing -person- he truly wants will never want him back. And yet he can't let her go...so the only option is to force her to be his wife. Even if she never loves him, at least she will never love anyone else, either. LEMONS ON BLOG.
1. Conviction

_Hey everyone!_

_So, I've been hearing requests on and off to repost and/or finish The Kill. As the story is, it was outside my ability to complete because I've changed so much as a writer since then. However, I'm going to take a shot at revamping and completing it. Some of the chapters will be reminiscent of the others, but I'm trying to make the story a little more realistic (as difficult as that may be and I'll probably fail fantastically) and give the characters and plot a little more life. Because I'm changing a lot but keeping the same premise, I've decided to change the title. It will be taken in a new but similar direction. We still have the MadaSakuSasu love triangle, but things will play out differently and the characters have changed a lot. I'm trying to make them more human, Madara especially. He's still going to be an asshole...but he's going to be a realistic, HUMAN asshole. ;)_

_Without further ado, I present to you the first chapter of Why the Caged Bird Sings!_

* * *

**1**

**-Conviction-**

"Send Takahashi-san up to the office. Now, and don't keep me waiting."

Uchiha Madara was a patient man—when he was not trifled with. Takahashi Ume had pushed her luck with him one too many times. The woman was certainly a valuable asset when she wasn't giving her own opinion on matters. It was obvious she thought she knew better and had a right to say something about it—which meant she needed to be put in her place.

She was his secretary, not his mother, and his mother was long since dead.

The quiet ticking of the clock he found strangely soothing as he flipped through the file folder for which he had accumulated many documents over the course of the past three years. It contained mundane things such as a photocopy of a birth certificate, social security information, and thumbprint scans—nothing of real importance to him. What concerned him were the photographs of the lovely young lady he would soon call his own.

Her short pink hair reflected her spunky and cheerful personality while her green eyes shone with a wisdom and intelligence beyond her twenty years of age. Her facial structure was elegant, with her straight nose, thin eyebrows, and full lips. Her cheekbones were high, giving her a heart-shaped face that he had long ago begun to desire. With every day that desire grew, unendingly, and he knew that he would need to act soon to obtain his prize.

Her body wasn't that of a goddess, with only a full B cup although she had proportional hips that were full and ready for childbirth. However, Madara had been with enough 'goddesses' to know that the fullness of a body was unimportant if one didn't know how to use it. He had slept with plenty of Tokyo's most beautiful women—models, actresses, singers, and so on—and they certainly knew how to use their bodies. But there was always something missing.

The young woman, a virgin, would be easily his to mold to his liking. As far as he knew, she had only kissed one person, and that was one of her greatest regrets. He knew she had been saving it for a certain someone else…but that was unimportant. There was no competition for her. The feelings she held for his young relative were a nonissue, as Uchiha Sasuke was barely a man and nowhere near ready for the relationship she needed; the relationship that Madara could give. Sasuke may have secretly returned her feelings, but again, it was unimportant. He was an Uchiha, and as head of the Uchiha family, the unfortunate boy would be forced to obey his elder's decisions.

_She_ would be forced to obey his decisions, as soon as she became an Uchiha…and this was one thing he _did not_ have the patience for.

Haruno Sakura had always wanted to be an Uchiha, he knew, as she had been pining for Sasuke ever since they began to go to school together in lower secondary school. He had met her then and seen it for himself, although at the time it had been nothing to him. Sasuke had been something of an obsession for her, but to his great displeasure he found that when he had taken interest in her, at her age of seventeen, her infatuation had turned to a love disguised as friendship. It had disturbed him at the time that she was so committed to Sasuke she would stop chasing him if only to be friends, for the sake of any relationship at all with him.

Now that he had made up his mind about her, however, it would only ever been friendship, if he allowed even that. He had contemplated a restraining order on the boy, in case he ever decided to come close to her.

Haruno Sakura would be an Uchiha, as she had always wished, but it would not be to Sasuke she would be married.

It would be to him.

She was his and his alone.

There was a light rapping on the door and Madara observed that Ume had taken her sweet, sweet time coming up. Yes, she had been on her lunch break, but unfortunately for her he wasn't paying her to eat; he was paying her to work for him at any time, any place.

"Come in," he said tersely. The door opened and in walked Takahashi Ume.

She was tall and curvaceous, with short, crew-cut dyed red hair. She had eyes a similar color to Sakura's, with the exception that Sakura's shone with beauty and love while Ume had hard, conniving eyes. Madara could openly state that he and Ume were of the same mindset, but she was still below him and that needed to be made clear.

"You called, Madara-sama?" Her deep, almost masculine voice was somewhat defiant. Madara frowned; she had certainly gotten out of line recently.

"Sit." It was an order.

Ume nodded and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. They were burgundy leather with a mahogany wood frame, matching his desk and chair and complimenting the large office's cream colored walls and black-and-crimson themes.

He let her sit there for a good long time, wasting away her lunch hour while he went back to browsing Sakura's file. Her GPA at Tokyo University was a proud 4.0, but that was not surprising. Madara would not just marry any girl off the street—she had to be intelligent, mature, and all-around perfect. Indeed, everything that Sakura was.

Ume didn't dare clear her throat, as she had been taught to be respectful to her elders, even if that had been faltering as of late. Madara glanced at the clock. Yes, she only had about ten minutes left of her lunch break at this point, which meant that by the time they were done talking she would be expected to work again. It was just as he had intended.

"Takahashi-san. Your performance as of late has been lacking." His voice was cold.

Ume raised her eyebrow, another subtle act of rebellion that he did not appreciate. He frowned as she began to speak. "What makes you say that, Madara-sama?"

His frown deepened. "Exactly that. Your attitude is far from exemplary and that is not tolerated at Uchiha Corp. It brings down the work ethic of my employees." Madara allowed himself a frigid, sarcastic smile. "We wouldn't want that, would we?"

Ume glared, which he matched with an even more intimidating expression. After a long moment, she averted her eyes and submitted to his authority, which pleased him. She still knew who was in charge.

"With all due respect, Madara-sama," Ume said slowly, "I have reason to believe that your particular ethics are lacking, as well."

Madara looked at her, unconcerned by her statement. "You read the file."

Ume nodded. "Yes, Madara-sama, and all I can say is that what you're doing is wrong. She's young—twenty years old! That's not old enough to marry someone like you. You're-"

Madara laughed suddenly, bringing her to a complete halt. She looked at him, questioningly rather than angrily.

"Are you married yourself, Ume-chan?" His condescending tone was meant to be insulting, as well as the content of his words. Ume blanched, then reddened.

"You know the reasons behind my-"

"_Are you married?"_ He immediately switched from condescending to a threat most others wouldn't dream of confronting.

To her credit, Ume didn't flinch, but the look on her face was enough to tell she had been put in her place. "No, Madara-sama," she said quietly. "I never will be."

"Then you should reevaluate how you judge others. You may not approve of my actions, but remember this—you are not involved, and you never will be. If I find out that you have slandered me in any way, you will find yourself buried in a lawsuit so fast you won't be able to collect your next paycheck before you find yourself unemployed for the rest of your life. Am I clear?"

Ume did not make eye contact with him, which was good, but she also did not speak.

"_Am I clear?_" he repeated harshly.

"Yes, Madara-sama." Her tone was soft and defeated. He had played dirty this time—but then again, Madara was never one to follow the rules.

"Very well then," he said, suddenly pleasant. "I will expect the merger proposal for Konoha, Inc. to be ready by tomorrow. Set up a meeting with Senju Tsunade for as soon as possible."

"Yes, Madara-sama," Ume replied automatically. Her disrespectful antics were no more.

"Dismissed," Madara said, waving her off. "Oh, and _Ume-chan._"

She had stood and turned to leave, but she looked back over her shoulder at him.

"If I ever discover you to have gone through my files again, I will fire you for invasion of privacy. As you well know, a discrepancy as such will also hinder you from being hired anywhere other than…what is that American restaurant? McDonald's?" Madara laughed coldly.

"Understood, Madara-sama," Ume said, reddening once more, but in embarrassment.

"That is all."

Ume nodded robotically and then left the room, the door clicking shut behind her.

Madara instantly returned to the Haruno Sakura's file, murmuring to himself, "Soon you will be mine, Sakura-chan. Mine, and mine alone."

* * *

The tall skyscrapers of Tokyo flashed by him as he sat in the back of the limousine that had been his transportation, the cloudy gray sky promising rain in the near future. However, Uchiha Madara's mind was focused solely on the woman's voice coming from the other side of his cellphone.

"Senju-san has refuted the business merger," Ume was saying with more than a touch of irritation. "Her email states that she sees little to be gained by merging with Uchiha Corp."

Madara hummed noncommittally. "I expected as much. She has Hashirama's spunk, I'll admit that. I believe it's time to up the ante so that she may see the wisdom in accepting my offer."

"Yes, Madara-sama. I've already prepared the order to begin manufacturing the counter to their product line. Once the Uchiha Corp. line of cellular technology is out on the market, their profit margin will fall dramatically."

"Good. Perhaps preventing her company from going under will be motivation enough to reconsider her response. Anything else?"

"No," Ume replied. "That's all."

"Very well. I want the manufacturer to begin production immediately. Have a good evening, Takahashi-san."

"Thank you, Madara-sama, you as well." The phone line went dead.

While not surprised by Tsunade's response to his offer of a business merger, he was still irritated by it. He had no actual need for the Konoha, Inc. to be a part of the Uchiha Corp. business group, but he needed control over the employees—one in specific.

If there was one thing he had learned about his dear Sakura, it was that she could not stand others suffering on her behalf. Her adopted father, Hatake Kakashi, would be the first to pay for her inevitable defiance.

As far as the young woman was aware, they only knew each other in passing. He had been introduced to her through Uchiha Sasuke—her long-standing crush—four years ago at the boy's birthday party. She had been barely sixteen at the time, but the amicable conversation they'd had somehow sparked his interest. She had been about to apply to Tokyo University a year earlier than her classmates due to outstanding performance in upper high school and had been ecstatic enough at her accomplishments to speak to a strange about it. At first, he'd tolerated it as an adult who could appreciate the younger generation's fervor for life, although the fact that she was particularly attractive despite her young age had played a part in his lasting attention. The way her eyes had sparkled as she talked became enthralling, however, and the way she spoke with such maturity, intelligence, and perceptiveness became enchanting. Over time, the conversation had left her schooling and went on to other topics such as the state of Tokyo's economy and opinions on Prime Minister at the time's political stances and those of his opponents in the upcoming election.

By the end of it, he was sorely wishing he wasn't thirty-six and she only sixteen. The girl was a gem, a treasure to be cherished.

She hadn't left his mind after that, but he'd been forced to acknowledge that she was simply too young, despite being legally able to consent to a relationship with him. With that thought, he'd put her out of his mind—however unsuccessfully.

It didn't stop him from making it a point to attend Sasuke's seventeenth birthday party for a chance to see her again.

This time, she'd been distracted and they'd barely gotten a chance to talk. She had greeted him politely, but she showed none of the interest in him that he had for her. It appeared that the last birthday party had been one where she felt out of place and had latched onto a stranger—him—in order to pass the time. Now that she was more comfortable in her surroundings, they talked briefly, he asked her if she'd gotten into Tokyo University and she'd replied with a yes, and then she'd been dragged off by a blond boy who he later learned was her best friend Uzumaki Naruto.

He remembered his distaste for her lack of attention to him very clearly, but even though it should have dissuaded him from pursuing her further, it had only piqued what would soon become an obsession.

That was when he'd started gathering information on her—not quite legally, he had to admit—and the interest became obsession and by the time it was time for Sasuke's eighteenth birthday, he couldn't wait to see her.

She hadn't been there—when he lightly questioned Sasuke, it turned out that she had caught the flu.

He hadn't bothered to go Sasuke's nineteenth birthday and there was no need to go to his twentieth; by that time, Sakura would be his.

On some level, he doubted she remembered him very well; they had seen each other only in passing at Sasuke's birthday parties and he hadn't seen her in nearly three years, even though on some level he hoped she hadn't forgotten him entirely. To his surprise, she had only recognized him as a relative of Sasuke's who was an accomplished businessman—if she knew him as the CEO of Uchiha Corp., one of the most reputable and established businesses in Japan, she had given no indication of it. It had been almost baffling but instead of being irritated, he found her naivety cute, even attractive.

She was his to mold, to turn into his perfect woman—and now she was old enough to fulfill the fantasies he'd been harboring for years, probably starting before it was entirely appropriate.

But the factor of age was of no consequence to him; she was legal and twenty was young enough to be her own person, but not so much that she was incapable of being changed to his liking.

Having reached the more affluent neighborhood of Tokyo, Madara was brought out of his pleasant thoughts about his beloved Sakura when the limousine stopped in front of his home. The home was enormous by the average Japanese person's standards with sprawling rock gardens and a lavish but traditional Japanese structure. The limo parked in the driveway and the driver—his cousin's son, Uchiha Shisui—got out and opened the door for him.

"We've arrived, Madara-sama," the twenty-six year old said politely.

"Thank you, Shisui. You are dismissed." Madara picked up his briefcase and stepped out of the elongated car to go into his home.

He noticed that Izuna's black Honda was parked on the side of the house and he found that he was pleased his brother had come to visit. Izuna had had a rare genetic disorder that had rendered him blind when he was twenty-two, forcing him to have to live with a caretaker if he wished to still live on his own. Madara had gladly supported his brother in his endeavor to maintain independence and had hired a woman named Takekyo Kina to take care of him. Four years later, Takekyo Kina became Uchiha Kina when the two married—Madara hadn't approved at first for Kina could easily have been taking advantage of Izuna's disability to marry into the prestigious Uchiha name, but as time progressed he reevaluated the situation and found that Kina truly loved his brother.

However, his younger brother had gotten married before him, even if they weren't going to have children—Madara had not been too pleased with that and their parents, had they been alive, would have been disappointed in their elder child. Then he found Sakura and he had a newfound patience for her to mature to the point where he could possess her at last.

Izuna was the only person he trusted with the information about his obsession with Sakura, although the situation had been quite watered-down for the sake of his trusting otouto. All Izuna truly knew was that his aniki was enamored with a girl that was a little too young and he was waiting for her to grow up more before he made his move.

Thank the gods that it was finally time, although he had come to the conclusion that he should have started buttering up Konoha, Inc. much earlier than he had. It was of no consequence, however—his will would be realized in due time.

"Aniki, konbanwa," Izuna greeted from the sitting room when he heard his brother's telltale footsteps. Izuna had always had good instincts and they served him well in his blindness; he could tell his brother's approach simply from the way he walked.

"Konbanwa, Izuna, Kina-chan," Madara said amicably, placing his briefcase on the ground by the table and loosening his tie. "To what to I owe the visit?"

"We just thought it would be nice to see you," Kina said politely. "You haven't called in a while. Izuna-kun was growing worried."

That was true, he supposed. He'd been rather busy preparing to reunite permanently with his Sakura and make sure the merger with Konoha, Inc. was a success.

"You have nothing to worry about, otouto," Madara replied. "I have just been busy. There is much to do at Uchiha Corp."

Izuna laughed lightly. "Of course, of course. Kina-chan brought dinner, though. We thought a home-cooked meal might be a nice change of pace from Usaki-san."

"He always does cook so professionally," Kina agreed, admonishing. "No love put into that food at all." She smiled brightly at her brother-in-law. "So I thought I'd change it up a little."

Madara took a seat, finally noticing the delicious scent of Kina's cooking. One thing he couldn't fault the woman for was her skills in the kitchen; once he and Sakura were married, he would definitely have Kina teach her a few things. Of course, he had already ascertained that Sakura was proficient in cooking for herself through his data-gathering, but Kina was exceptional.

Expertly, the raven-haired woman began to unpack the food from the bag she'd brought and he couldn't deny that his mouth watered. Yes, Sakura would need to learn to cook like his brother's wife. Then, although he had nothing against the professional chef, Usaki could be replaced.

The meal was eaten peaceably with light conversation and shortly after, Izuna and Kina left. Madara was forced to acknowledge the relative quietude of the house without his guests, even though he had plenty of servants to take care of the place. But the moment the clock struck eight o'clock, all of them went home to their families and he was left alone.

As he walked up to his room and noticed the silence in the house, he couldn't help but feel a tickle of impatience. Once he was married to Sakura, there would be no silence at all. He would have her, and he planned that within a year or so after the marriage, they would have a child on the way. He planned to have at least two; and he would never come home to a cold, silent house again.

He couldn't imagine anything more perfect than a family, a life with Sakura.

Uchiha Madara was a patient man, but as he undressed and laid down to go to bed without a body to hold close, without someone to say goodnight to, he realized that his patience was running out.

* * *

**Japanese Translations:**

**Konbanwa - **good evening

**otouto - **little brother

**aniki - **big brother

* * *

_So, that was short, but a lot longer than it was as the prologue of The Kill. Some of you may notice that I hardly altered the first part, while the second part is entirely new. You can expect that in some parts of the story. Some parts will still work for the story, but in essence, this IS a different story. I hope that makes sense!_

_Please review and tell me what you think of the changes!_

_Till next time,_

_Of Healing Love_


	2. Price Tags

_Hey everyone!_

_Chapter Two is out, as you all can see. I've decided that my updates for Why the Caged Bird Sings will be every Thursday-Saturday starting next week. Today is Wednesday, so I'm updating a little early, but you can expect Chapter Three to be out sometime next week, again, between Thursday and Saturday._

_For all of you who know The Kill in its original form, a few things you should note: __1) This story has already veered off in a different but similar direction, as you can tell from this newest chapter, and 2) It will still have many of the same themes, facts, and events, although not all the same, or in the same order, and not all for the same reason. The story is also moving at a much slower pace to flesh out the characters and make the entire thing more realistic...as well as more of a romance than a rapefic._

_Anyways, don't bother yourself with all that if you haven't read the first one! On to the story!_

* * *

**2**

**-Price Tags-**

Haruno Sakura was a lot of things, but she wasn't a fangirl.

Yes, perhaps she had been at one point. Her friend Uchiha Sasuke had had many in high school and until sophomore year, she would have qualified as one. She'd felt she had an advantage being best friends with his best friend and that maybe her crush had a chance.

Then disaster struck—she didn't have a crush anymore. She'd gotten to know the real Sasuke and it had gone from attraction for his mysterious personality and uncannily good looks to actual _love_.

And when she realized that it was real, that she was wholly and irrevocably in love with him, she'd stopped obsessing, stopped pushing herself on him. She decided to just be friends with him and she'd told him that—she'd promised that she wouldn't treat him like an object anymore and that she cared for him really and truly as a person. He'd responded in his typical noncommittal fashion, but their relationship had improved from that point on and now she considered him one of her closer friends.

Haruno Sakura wasn't a fangirl anymore—she was his _friend_, even if she loved him as more—so she really, _really_ hated girls who fancied Sasuke as a prize to be obtained and not as a person.

It was just a shame that she shared a class with Sasuke at Tokyo University and she had to endure jealous glares and spiteful words from girls who clearly hadn't grown up at all since high school. To make it worse, it was her third year in college!

"Sasuke-kun," she murmured softly as the English literature professor droned on, "you need to sit somewhere else next time. I think I'm going to get jumped after class."

Sasuke grunted, equally softly. "Better you than me."

Sakura scowled and turned back to the professor. She wasn't sure why Tokyo U insisted that _all_ majors continue to study English culture and language even after the core classes in high school, but she knew that it was beyond irritating. As a premed student, she'd focused on her sciences and mathematics the first two years, but before she could get her Bachelor's, she had to take this class.

At first she'd been glad that she was in a class with Sasuke, both because he was her friend and because of her secret love for him. However, after realizing that Sasuke and fangirls were a package deal, she quickly began to regret the decision.

"…and for next time, make sure you've written the four-page essay due on the cultural impact Shakespeare's MacBeth had in the early 1600's. Class dismissed."

Sakura sighed and began to pack up her things. English Culture and Literature, or ECL as it was referred to by the student population, was probably the most tedious and useless class she would ever have to take.

By the time she had adjusted her backpack and was looking towards Sasuke, she realized that he was already halfway out the door. Frowning, she hurried to catch up to him, trying to ignore the vicious glares she was getting.

"Slut can't go anywhere without trailing after him like a puppy," hissed one of the particularly worse fans, a purple-haired girl name Hakabi Ami.

Another girl, one of Ami's veritable henchmen, whispered loudly, "I wonder how much she pays him to be that close to him all the time."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched as she caught up to Sasuke and fell in step with him, away from the envious and rude gossip. _You'll get suspended if you beat the shit out of them, you'll get suspended if you beat the shit out of them_ was a constant mantra in her mind.

"I'm never going to be in the same class as you again," she informed her friend coolly as they stepped out into the courtyard. It was particularly gray out and it felt like it had been consistently overcast for months now. She knew that it was possibly true because, as they say, April showers bring May flowers, but it was getting irritating. Sakura was impatient for some sun.

Sasuke snorted. "It's not my fault they're like vultures."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "It _so_ is. Just get a girlfriend already, will you? Then I won't have to put up with this crap and _she_ can deal with it."

Inwardly, Sakura was wincing at saying things that so viciously tore at her heart, but she had come to terms with the fact that Sasuke would never feel for her the way she felt about him. If nothing else, at least she could be his friend. It had to be enough—it _was_ enough.

At least, that was what she told herself.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she missed the flash of a scowl that passed over Sasuke's normally stoic face. By the time she looked back at him, it was gone.

"If there was someone I could stand that long, maybe I'd consider it," he said emotionlessly. Despite herself, Sakura felt a wave of relief. Even if it was just for a little while longer, she was still the only girl other than his mother in his life.

She made sure not to let that relief show on her face, but she gladly changed the topic.

"When is Naruto supposed to get here?" she wondered aloud. They had reached the cafeteria, where they always met up with their blond best friend after class was over on Thursdays before heading to the café down the street for coffee.

"Incoming," was all Sasuke said, and then there was the telltale commotion as the boy arrived.

"Sakura-chan! Sasuke-teme!" came the loud exclamation that had the entire cafeteria turning to look in irritation.

Sakura's eye twitched in irritation. "Baka," she muttered as the blond rushed up to them.

"Hey," Sasuke said, echoing her annoyance. "Think you could be any louder next time?"

Naruto gave a thumbs up and winked. "I can try!"

"That was sarcasm, dobe."

"I _know_, teme!"

"Then maybe take the hint…"

"Hey, at least I know how to _express _myself!"

"Yeah, and the whole world knows it when you do."

"Listen, asshole-"

"Naruto, stop!" Sakura said loudly. "And you!" she turned to Sasuke. "Stop antagonizing him! Can we _please_ just get along for five minutes?"

"Teme started it."

"The dobe can't even comprehend a simple request. How it is my fault?"

"You-!"

Sakura could only sigh in exasperation, but she was fighting down a smile.

They would always be her boys.

The time she spent with Naruto and Sasuke would never be a quiet affair, Sakura mused as the trio made their way down the busy sidewalk towards Akebikuro's Café. The boys' bantering was like a comforting buzz in the background as she walked in front of them towards their destination and she wondered vaguely if her life might possibly always be this comfortable. Sure, she and her otou-san sometimes struggled to make ends meet with enormous debt accrued by hospital bills, and it was hard with the death of her okaa-san five years ago—sometimes it still felt like yesterday—but with her okaa-san's spirit guiding her and her otou-san's loving devotion to her and her future, Sakura felt like things might actually turn out okay.

They walked into Akebikuro's and the manager and owner, Osachi-san, greeted them.

"Konnichiwa, minna!" called the older man. His son, Kurou, waved shyly at her and grinned at the boys.

"Konnichiwa, Sakura-chan," Kuro said with light pink dusting his cheeks. Sakura knew that Kurou had a crush on her, but even if she wasn't in love with Sasuke, there would be no chance; Kurou was only sixteen and she preferred older…even though technically she'd never dated at all. Sasuke had had that effect on her.

And even though technically Sasuke was younger than her, he certainly acted older than his age. It was all the justification she needed.

"Kurou-kun," Sakura said with a nod and a smile.

"Oi, Kurou!" Naruto said cheerfully. "Have you seen Hinata recently? She said she comes here sometimes, but I've never seen her…"

Kurou looked thoughtful for a moment. "No, I don't think I've seen her. She's the one with the really pretty white eyes, right?"

"Yep!" Naruto said, oblivious to the secretive glance Sakura and Osachi shared. It was no secret that Hyuuga Hinata was head-over-heels in love with Naruto and would probably frequent Akebikuro's if only to have a chance to see the blond.

Apparently, though, the timid girl hadn't quite mustered the courage to do so just yet.

Sakura liked to think that Naruto and Hinata would make an adorable couple if only they were pushed in the right direction a little. Unfortunately, she didn't know Hinata very well and it would be embarrassing and probably futile to try to convince her to approach Naruto with her feelings at this point in time.

Sasuke, ever the curt one, suddenly said, "I'll have the jasmine green tea and two tomato onigiri."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "As usual," she muttered. Sasuke handed Kurou his credit card as payment and then Naruto was up.

He glanced at the menu posted above the counter and frowned. "You guys still haven't added ramen to the menu…"

"Naruto-kun," Osachi said, sighing good-naturedly, "There's not really much demand for ramen with Ichiraku's trailer just down the street. I can't hope to compete with Teuchi-san's recipe."

Before Naruto could object and make a further fuss, Sakura elbowed him in the ribs. "We go there almost every Monday for lunch, baka. Your body could use something with actual _nutrients_."

The blond grumbled, running a hand through his hair. "Fine, fine." And then, like magic, he was cheerful again. "Oolong iced tea, sweetened, and four sticks of takoyaki!"

"You can't eat that much, dobe," Sasuke said, but it lacked any real irritation.

Naruto, for once, ignored him, passing over the yen in exact change. Kurou turned to Sakura.

"Water and just one salted salmon onigiri, please." She, too, handed Kurou exact change in cash. In all honesty, Sasuke was the only one of them out of the three to have enough money to actually need a credit card.

Osachi promised the food out in five minutes and with a quick farewell, the three went to sit in their usual booth in the back corner of the café. The place was a small but light and cheerful place; lamps hung from the ceilings to illuminate the many tables and booths and the place had large potted plants everywhere. The tile on the floor was checkered black and white and with the paintings done by local artists on the walls, it almost felt like a second home to Sakura.

As the boys argued back and forth constantly, Sakura's mind wandered to her current endeavor to volunteer at a few hospitals in the surrounding area. She had applied to the main hospital in Tokyo even though it was a bit of a walk from home, but she doubted that she'd get in without having finished premed school. There were a couple other hospitals that she had a better chance of getting into, but so far she hadn't heard back from them. She greatly hoped to start getting actual experience in doctoring, but she had to admit she was a little disappointed.

Soon, she was sucked out of her thoughts and back into conversation with Naruto and Sasuke. When the food arrived, there was a momentary pause and then conversation continued. Naruto brought up that his foster father, Umino Iruka, had landed a job at Konoha, Inc. and Sakura was overjoyed. Iruka and Kakashi had been friends for a long time and that was how she'd met Naruto in the first place—they hadn't gotten along at first, mainly because they were children and Naruto was a boy and Sakura was a girl. However, come secondary school, they'd put their differences aside and become very close. Sakura wasn't exactly sure how Naruto had become such good friends with Sasuke, but they were now an inseparable trio—at least she liked to think so.

"Hey, Sakura," Sasuke said during a lull. "Do you need any help with that dumb paper?"

It took Sakura a moment to recall what Sasuke was talking about—the paper on the cultural influence of MacBeth on 17th century Europe—and then another that was spent staring at him dumbly when she realized he was actually offering to spend time with her outside of necessity.

It wasn't like she and Sasuke didn't spend time together, but it was usually for a purpose that neither could avoid or that Sakura proposed herself. Or, for times that were purely for fun, Naruto was usually involved. Therefore it was more than a little surprising that the Uchiha was actually wanting to see her of his own volition, even if it was only for schoolwork.

"Well…" she said uncertainly. She wanted to scream 'Yes! Yes!' but it wouldn't do to be that obvious. Stuffing down her excitement—she wasn't exactly happy that she was reacting so strongly to this strange but totally awesome idea—she pretended to think.

"Face it. You suck at English," Sasuke went on.

Sakura glowered at him. "Whatever. I totally started university a year before you!"

Sasuke snorted, but raised an eyebrow questioningly…_challengingly?_

"Fine. Actually, I really wasn't looking forward to that paper at all."

"Meet up tomorrow? My place?"

"…Sure." Sakura didn't trust her traitorous voice to say anything else lest she give away how baffled—and happy—she was that this was happening.

"Oi, teme!" Naruto protested. "You can't hog Sakura-chan all to yourself!"

"Shut up, dobe. It's just for school."

A part of Sakura wilted at that. _Just_ for school. Of course. However, she showed no reaction to his comment outwardly.

Just then, her cellphone went off. "Konnichiwa, papa!" Sakura said cheerfully upon seeing the caller ID.

"_Sakura-chan,"_ came Kakashi's voice. _"When will you be home? I have a surprise for you."_

Sakura immediately lit up. "I was just with Sasuke and Naruto at Akebikuro's. I can be home in fifteen or so?"

"_Perfect,"_ Kakashi replied. _"See you then."_

"Love you, papa."

"Love you too, Sakura-chan."

Sakura hung up and turned to her friends. "I have to get home now," she told them. "My otou-san has a surprise for me!"

"Okay, Sakura-chan! You'd better call me and tell me what it is!"

"Of course, Naruto."

"Ja ne, Sakura."

"Bye, Sasuke." Waving at her friends, she grabbed her backpack from the floor beside the booth and stood up. She also waved goodbye to Osachi and Kurou before heading out into the busy street.

It was a short walk back to her apartment where she and Kakashi lived, having downsized after her okaa-san's illness and death. It was a quick walk up to the second story and she was glad to be greeted when she walked in.

"Tadaima!" she called, removing her shoes in the foyer before walking further into the home.

It was a very comfortable, lived-in apartment. The walls were full of pictures of her, Rin, and Kakashi as a family, from the moment Sakura had been brought into the family as a newborn to now, although now her okaa-san wasn't in the photos anymore. To make up for it, there were many pictures of her parents before she had been adopted. There were a few bonsai trees scattered around the small living room, which attached directly to the kitchen and dining room. There was a bedroom for her otou-san and then her own bedroom across the way. They'd gotten lucky and there were two bathrooms—it would have been awkward to share one with her father.

"Okaeri, Sakura-chan," Kakashi called back. "I hope you're not too full; I have a reservation for Akimichi Bistro downtown."

Sakura's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Akimichi? But that's so expensive…!"

"It's a special occasion, Sakura-chan," Kakashi said, smiling. For once, he wasn't wearing the usual scarf that he used to cover the bottom half of his face. "Remember how I told you Konoha was merged with Uchiha Corp.?"

Sakura nodded, not understanding.

"Apparently, the new CEO decided that I deserved a promotion. I'm now the division manager of Marketing."

There was a moment of silence, and then-

"Oh my gods! Oh my gods! Congratulations, papa!" She ran up to him and he caught her small form in a tight hug.

"With my new raise, we won't have to rely on loans so much for Tokyo University anymore and I can telecommute more often. We'll be able to go on that vacation to Hawaii this summer, too."

Sakura felt tears sting her eyes. Her otou-san worked so hard for Konoha and even though she had nothing against Tsunade, she was very happy that whoever this new CEO was had recognized Kakashi's hard work and had seen fit to give him something he had deserved for a long time. He had wanted this job for _years_.

"I'm so happy!" Sakura said joyfully as she and her father let go of each other. "But I don't think I have anything nice enough for Akimichi."

"The reservation isn't until eight." Kakashi smiled and handed her his rarely-used credit card. "Buy something nice, alright?"

Now, the tears spilled. "Thank you so much, papa. I have to call Ino right away. She'll know exactly where to go."

Kakashi smiled and ruffled her hair. "Have fun, but don't be late. 7:30 should give us enough time to get there."

Sakura checked the clock on her phone. "Oh, that's like two hours. If I hurry, I can definitely get it done!" She turned to him again. "Thank you so much papa, and congratulations again!"

Kakashi only smiled and waved her away. "Go get ready."

The pinkette smiled, wiped her eyes, and ran to her bedroom, already dialing her best female friend, Yamanaka Ino.

"Ino-pig, you'll never guess what happened today…"

* * *

"Hatake has been promoted just as you ordered," Ume said after bowing as she entered his office. "And the three others were let go, also as ordered."

Madara glanced up from his paperwork. "Good. And the raise was…?"

"3,000,000 yen."

He nodded. "That should be enough. Very well. And the reservation?"

"It was as you predicted; Akimichi's at eight. I have already reserved a table for you in the adjacent area."

"Well done, Takahashi-san. You are dismissed."

Ume hesitated and Madara rolled his eyes.

"I understand you are not comfortable with your part in this," he said exasperatedly. "Must I give you a photocopy of your pay stub? It's been raised 5,100,000 yen, as you requested."

The woman straightened and nodded. "Thank you, Madara-sama."

Madara simply waved towards the door and Ume thankfully excused herself at last.

Everything was falling into place perfectly. Soon, after Hatake had grown comfortable in his position—Madara estimated about a month—and he had reintroduced himself into Sakura's life, it would be a simple matter of luring Sakura in. If she refused…well, her dear otou-san, who had just gotten his dream job, would soon find himself entirely _jobless_. And, with any luck, they would have already starting spending as though the promotion would be permanent…there was nothing like financial distress to motivate someone into doing what you wanted them to do.

She might be unhappy with the situation at first, he was aware, but he would make her his queen; she would want for nothing. She would get over his brat of a great-nephew and she would come to love him in time. Sakura would see that life was him was perfect and then—then everything would be right in the world.

Because the truth was that everything in this world had a price-tag. Ume could be bought into cooperation even when it was for something that she found morally wrong with a simple raise. Kakashi could now buy his way to happiness and contentment with the new, much larger paycheck he was receiving. And Sakura...well, she was too good of a person to be bought with money.

But she could be bought with the promise of her friend and family's happiness and that was a price he was more than willing to pay. Everything had a price-tag and as a man who had more money than he could ever hope to spend in his lifetime, it was a simple matter of pulling the strings to get what he wanted. He wanted for nothing except Haruno Sakura.

And soon, he would have _her._

**Japanese Translations:**

**teme - **bastard

**dobe - **idiot

**baka - **fool

**konnichiwa - **good afternoon

**minna - **everyone

**ja ne - **see you later, informal

**tadaima/okaeri ** - I'm home/welcome back

**otou-san -** father

**papa -** believe it or not, this means 'daddy' in Japanese. Sakura refers to Kakashi as papa in dialogue, but in thoughts it's otou-san

**okaa-san -** mother

**Note: 3,000,000 yen = roughly $30,000**

**5,100,000 yen = roughly $50,000**

**If there are any I missed, please let me know! I know that probably a lot of you already know these, but for those who don't, I figured I'll fill you in. :) Trying not to use too much Japanese, but some just fit. Sorry!**

* * *

_And...that's Chapter Two. I hope you all enjoyed and please review! On a side note:_

**_To Entropy Fans: This weekend should have an update. No promises, but be on the lookout!_**

_Reviews are food for my brain! Feed me and more chapters shall be the result!_


	3. Ulterior Motives

_Hey everyone!_

_It's been a while for this story. I'm a little stuck on Entropy and I've been busy with Sweet Cinnamon and Honey and The Only Thing I Know, but I think someone religiously guest-reviewed this story and I kind of felt obligated to update...DO NOT GUILT THE AUTHOR! PLEASE! IT SUCKS FOR HER!_

_Anyways, I guess this just shows I have a weak heart. :( Nonetheless, here's a new update. No specific time table as to when the next update will come, but hopefully in the next two weeks or so. Enjoy!_

* * *

**3**

**-Ulterior Motives-**

The shopping trip with Ino had gone splendidly and Sakura had returned home with her purchases—despite her otou-san's promotion, she had tried not to overspend. The dress was perfect for the occasion and coupled with the new heels, she was fully prepared to make Kakashi proud to have her as his daughter.

At exactly 7:30pm, they hailed a cab for the ride over to the bistro. It was a short ride because despite the exorbitant price of apartments for living so close to the center of Tokyo, their apartment was one of the better-priced living arrangements. Sakura could not rightly express how happy she was as she sat next to her father in the back of the cab, going to celebrate this wonderful occasion.

A stinging pain in her heart reminded her that her okaa-san should be here, that she should be sitting on her other side and taking part in the joy of Kakashi getting the job he'd always wanted. Sakura was very thankful that Konoha, Inc. had been merged with Uchiha Corp. Vaguely, she wondered if she knew who headed the large, multi-billion dollar corporation; she was rather close with the Uchiha family through Sasuke, even though their name was so famous that her position to know them was highly coveted by many. It was a factor that only exacerbated Sasuke's multitude of fangirls—he was part of the _Uchiha_ clan, one of the most ancient clans lasting since the Meiji era. They had vast political influence and she could only think that Uchiha Corp.'s CEO might be one of the most powerful non-political figures in Japan.

They arrived shortly at Akimichi and Kakashi paid their fare without a care in the world. Stepping out of the cab onto the busy sidewalk, Sakura couldn't help but notice that there was already a wait line that went out the door.

Akimichi Bistro was one of the most prestigious restaurants in Tokyo and it had a chain of restaurants that spread throughout Japan, although it was rumored that none of them were as good as the original because Akimichi Chouza, the owner and head chef of the bistro, only worked at the Tokyo location. Sakura was eager to find out what kind of food was offered that made the place so coveted—she had heard that there were a number of completely original dishes that had never been seen before in Japan. Of course, other restaurants had tried to copy the style, but no one could compare to Chouza's prowess in the kitchen.

They walked in and were greeted cordially before being led to their table. The place was decorated beautifully but had a more modern, westernized style of decoration. The tables were covered in pristine white tablecloths and the place settings were a combination of forks, knives, spoons, and chopsticks. At every table was a lit candle and a bouquet of fresh flowers. The walls were painted navy blue with white trim and elegant chandeliers hung from the ceilings. The tile was a beige marble, complementing the dark oak wood of the chairs and tables.

Sakura sighed at the beauty of it all.

"It's wonderful, papa," she said delightedly as they took a seat. He nodded in assent, adjusting his black scarf, which blended well with his tuxedo. The dress code at Akimichi was formal business and called for only the nicest of clothing.

"Your waiter will be with you in a moment," said the hostess before bowing politely and returning to the front to help the next customer.

Sakura's eyes wandered the restaurant, observing the patrons. Everyone was dressed to the nines and it was clearly a place that was mostly frequented by the wealthiest of Japan. She couldn't help but feel a little out of place, even though technically her clothing fit in; she knew instinctively that she did not truly belong in the place.

Pushing the feeling aside, she looked up at the waiter when he appeared.

"Konbanwa," he greeted with a large smile. "My name is Yoko and I will be your server tonight. Is there anything I can start you with?"

Sakura glanced at her otou-san for permission and he waved his hand, signally she could get whatever she wanted. Glancing at the drink menu briefly, she tried to choose something that would not be too expensive. She already knew that this was going to cost a fortune; no need to make it worse with expensive drinks.

"I'll have the plum wine, please," she said politely. The waiter nodded and turned to Kakashi.

"A pot of sake, hot," he told the man, and without writing anything down—it just showed how good Yoko was at his job—the waiter bowed and went to go fetch their drinks.

Suddenly, Kakashi was on his feet, bowing in the direction behind her, and there was a murmur that went through the crowd of both seated patrons and those waiting outside. Sakura's brow furrowed curiously before she turned around to see what the source of the commotion was.

Her expression lit up when she noticed it was Uchiha Madara, a man she had met at Sasuke's birthday parties. All she knew what that he was a relative of her friend's, but the times they had talked he hadn't divulged much about himself. She remembered that he had always been friendly to her, but she hadn't seen him in many years. The recollection was vague at best, but when she realized he was headed in their direction, she smiled at him widely. He met her eyes and smiled back gently, but the way he was looking at her made her blush just a little.

"Uchiha-sama," Kakashi said formally.

"Ah, Hatake-san," Madara replied in his deep, baritone voice. "How good to see you here. Enjoying the perks of your promotion?"

Suddenly, Sakura's face was aflame. No…it couldn't be.

Could it?

The way that people were looking towards the Uchiha with interest and admiration; the way her otou-san had risen so abruptly to greet him when he approached; how Madara had known about Kakashi's promotion; the fact that he was an _Uchiha_…

Could Madara be the CEO of Uchiha Corp.?

"Yes, sir," replied Kakashi. Madara glanced at her and Kakashi immediately cleared his throat and motioned to Sakura. She stood quickly, bowing. "This is my daughter, Sakura."

Madara smirked. "I believe we've already met, Sakura-san?" He grasped her hand and kissed the top of it softly.

Sakura decided she probably looked like one of the very-ripe tomatoes that Sasuke liked so much. How could she…she had treated him so casually when they'd met! She'd had no idea that he was such a prominent figure of society! It was a wonder he hadn't scoffed at her disrespect and thought her the rudest, most ignorant chit he'd ever met.

Realizing that eyes were on her and she had said nothing, stunned as she was, she nervously cleared her throat and said. "H-hai, we've met, Uchiha-sama."

His eyes gleamed in the lighting. "I believe we're beyond surnames, don't you think?"

Swallowing with great difficulty, Sakura blushed more deeply—was that possible at this point?—and nodded demurely.

He seemed to find this amusing because he chuckled lightly before turning to Kakashi. "I believe you're perfectly suited to the job," he told her otou-san. "I was surprised that Tsunade had not seen fit to promote you before now."

Even Kakashi's cheeks tinged pink at the compliment, although it was mostly hidden by the scarf. "Thank you, sir. I do my best."

"I expect it of my employees," Madara agreed. "But I'm sure you will exceed those expectations, hm?"

"Hai," Kakashi replied confidently. Sakura smiled at her father, a reassurance of his confidence.

"Now," Madara said lightly, "It seems my date has stood me up and I have a table with no one to share it with. Would it be too much trouble to join me? Reservations are so hard to come by these days, no?"

The room seemed to be silent upon hearing _the_ Uchiha Madara inviting someone to his table. Sakura was confused—how would _anybody_ dare to stand up someone who had probably been featured as one of the most eligible bachelors in Japan? She herself did not partake in that kind of celebrity gossip, but it would be hard to imagine that he hadn't been featured at least once.

He was definitely handsome enough—of course, it seemed all Uchiha men were blessed with some kind of uncanny, entirely _unfair_ attractiveness gene. It clearly ran in the family, given Sasuke, his aniki Itachi, and Madara's stunning beauty. Even Fugaku, Sasuke and Itachi's father, had probably been a looker back in his day.

The thought made her wonder just how _old_ Madara was. He was clearly older than Sasuke's parents, that was certain. But Fugaku looked much less youthful than him.

He had long, spikey black hair that was probably unbecoming of a businessman of his stature, but she had to admit it looked good. His onyx eyes were deep and wise. He had high cheekbones, an aristocratic nose, and thin lips that complemented his strong, angular jaw. He was well-built with broad shoulders and narrow hips and it seemed there wasn't an ounce of fat on him; it was apparent with the fitted suit he wore.

"We'd be honored," Kakashi replied, although he sounded rather uncertain as to Madara's motivation. Madara glanced at her, as though for approval, and all she could do was nod.

The waiter chose that moment to return to the table, carrying their drinks. He paused when he saw Madara standing there.

"Konbanwa, Uchiha-sama," he said politely.

"Yoko-san, have them moved to my table, and put their meal on my tab," Madara commanded imperiously.

In that simple sentence, Sakura could easily see how Uchiha Madara had become so powerful. His tone brooked no room for dissent and the way he spoke just _made_ you want to listen to him, to obey him.

Personally, Sakura wasn't sure if she liked that or not. Still, it was probably a useful skill in the business world, being able to carry oneself and act like a king.

Yoko bowed deeply and led them to the very back of the restaurant to a private room. The place was dimmer, almost having a romantic atmosphere. There was a dimly lit chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the candle at the table flickered a yellow light. She supposed it was more fitting for a date than the front of the restaurant, although she couldn't help but think that not many people were allowed into these private rooms.

Madara sat down at the proverbial head of the table, given that the table was entirely square. Kakashi sat at his right and Sakura to his left and light conversation ensued. Sakura imagined that in any other situation it would have been awkward, but Madara seemed unwilling to let such feelings ensue. He was genial and even funny at times and she found she was greatly enjoying the conversation that went on. She could tell her otou-san was wary of something because of his stiff posture, but what it was she had no idea. All she knew was that she was greatly enjoying talking to the Uchiha and it occurred to her that maybe not every single Uchiha man only talked in monosyllables.

Taking another sip of her plum wine, Sakura couldn't help but feel a little bad that what was supposed to be private celebration between her and her father had been interrupted, but when she looked at Kakashi questioningly, he only smiled and nodded, telling her it was okay.

She promised herself she'd get him a card and cook dinner for the both of them tomorrow night to properly celebrate the occasion. No matter how much fun she was having, this wasn't really fair to her otou-san.

Still, she smiled and went on as though nothing was bothering her.

* * *

When he'd seen his Sakura dressed so beautifully as she entered the bistro, it had been difficult to not stare longingly. Soon, she wouldn't be on her father's arm when she went to fancy restaurants such as these—she would be with _him_.

She'd worn a long, emerald green strapless dress with matching heels that made her green eyes pop and in it, she looked like a princess of spring. Her pastel pink hair touched the top of her shoulders and the kohl eyeliner around her eyes stood out against her creamy pale skin. Her pouty lips were covered in a light pink lip gloss that shimmered in the lighting and made her smile look all that much more beautiful.

She was gorgeous.

She was _his_.

Although it went against his ulterior motives to pay for their meal, he wanted to make the best impression on Sakura that he could. If there was any attraction he could spark in her, then he might not even have to go to underhanded methods to get what he wanted. Nothing would please him more than if she came to him willingly.

He knew it was unlikely given her feelings for Sasuke, but it in the end, any kindness he showed her would go a long way.

"So, last time we spoke, you said you'd gotten in to Tokyo University," he said, taking a sip of his sake. "How is that going?"

"Very well," she replied politely. "The classes are difficult, but stimulating. My grades are pretty good, too."

He smirked to himself, enjoying his own private joke. Her grades were _more_ than 'pretty good'; she had a 4.0. But of course he wasn't supposed to know that, so he made no further comment on it. "And what are you studying?"

"I'm in premed right now," she said brightly. "But my ultimate goal is to go into pediatrics."

"A worthy endeavor. It must be very fortunate to have such supportive parents."

He expected the stiffening of Kakashi's back, but it would not do to let them know he knew all about Hatake Rin's breast cancer and subsequent death. Sakura only looked down, smiling sadly.

"My okaa-san died five years ago," she said softly.

"My apologies," Madara said contritely, making eye contact with Kakashi to let him know it was unintentional. It hadn't been, of course, but Hatake didn't need to know that. He was simply trying to 'learn' everything he could so that perhaps it wouldn't be necessary to reveal how much research he'd done on the family in order to get to Sakura.

"It's alright," Sakura replied with a slightly brighter smile. "Things happen in life that we have no control over. You just have to adjust."

Madara wondered if she knew how much that statement would soon apply to her.

Kakashi finally spoke. "Sakura-chan, how are those applications to those hospitals going?"

Madara raised an eyebrow. Now _this_ was something he was unaware of and was immediately listening keenly.

"Oh, I haven't heard back from any of them," she said, sounding disappointed. "I think it's rather difficult to get into a hospital, even as a volunteer, when you don't have any real experience."

So, she was looking for a hospital to volunteer at? He had to hide his smirk of elation. This was _perfect_.

"Sakura-san," he began. "As you're aware, large corporations have their own hospitals?"

She turned to him and nodded. It was a well-known fact that unlike some other countries, in Japan it was almost normal for especially large businesses to have hospitals within their buildings in case of emergencies, as well as motel rooms for employees who had to stay overnight to work and their own kitchens that went beyond the normal cafeterias businesses had within them. Uchiha Corp. was one of them and it was the perfect opportunity to get closer to her.

"Yes, well, I'm sure I could arrange for you to volunteer at Uchiha Corp.'s internal hospital. Should you do well enough, there might even be a chance of pay. Would you accept?"

The sudden sparkle in her eyes and the wide grin on her face of excitement made the offer worthy all on its own, but knowing that it would give him the chance to see her on a more regular basis made the proposition absolutely perfect. "I would love to," she said, then she hesitated. "But I wouldn't want to bother you with something like this…"

He waved his hand dismissively, expertly hiding the look of triumph on his face. "It would be no problem. There's been a recent shortage of volunteers lately anyways."

Sakura looked relieved and ecstatic all at once. Kakashi turned to him.

"Thank you so much for your generosity, Uchiha-sama," he said, and he, too sounded appreciative.

Conversation went on after that, only interrupted when Yoko returned to take their orders. Once the food was served, Kakashi seemed to relax and participate much more in the meal. That was good, Madara supposed, because Hatake was a hard nut to crack. The man was wary and had practically coined the phrase, 'Look underneath the underneath,' so if he could get the silver-haired man's trust, the rest would be simple.

The meal was over much too soon in Madara's opinion. It had warmed him in an unexpected way to be so close to her, to talk to her, to enjoy her light perfume and the subtle scent that was purely _Sakura_. At times he'd wished Hatake wasn't there at all, that the dinner could have been enjoyed just between the two of them, but small sacrifices such as these were necessary for the big picture. Soon—perhaps _very_ soon, given how animated Sakura was and how fully she participated in the conversation—he would not have to worry about these things at all. Anything was worth sacrificing for his precious gem.

The check came and as promised, he simply put it on his tab. Sakura's gracious thank-you and Kakashi's bow of deepened respect were gratifying, even though this had not been out of selflessness at all. He would have given anything to be taking Sakura home with him that night, to be able to strip her of that beautiful dress and see her bare body in all its glory; to be able to touch her and hear her moans; to feel her and be inside her.

The sudden but not exactly unexpected turn of his thoughts had blood rushing to his groin. She took no notice of his distraction, simply continuing to talk about the state of affairs between Japan and America and the public opinion on the continued occupation of their army bases.

Watching her pretty lips move, forming those intelligent words, made him think of much better things she could be doing with that beautiful mouth of hers.

However, the moment she paused, he resumed conversation as though lust was not coursing through his veins, as though he did not want to rip her clothing off and take her on the table right then and there, her father's presence be damned.

Kakashi had gone silent and was simply watching them and when Madara made eye contact with him, he knew then that the man was not as relaxed as he'd portrayed. Madara wasn't sure if he sensed the undertones of the situation or if he knew what _exactly_ was going on, but it was fair to say the man was suspicious. After all, for a dinner that had been meant to be a celebration of his promotion, Madara had paid much more attention to Hatake's daughter than he had to him.

Inwardly, even though it was inconvenient, Madara congratulated the man on his intelligence. Underneath the underneath, indeed.

Eventually, Kakashi decided that it was time for them to leave. It disappointed him that Sakura took this all in stride and didn't seem to mind that their time together was being cut short. _He_ certainly minded, but it would not do to show that. He would have his time with her soon; they would certainly spend many years together.

"Thank you for the dinner, Madara-sama," Sakura said as they were parting. Kakashi said the same, although with 'Uchiha-sama' rather than by his given name. Surprisingly, that little nuance in their words pleased Madara immensely. Perhaps it was because it represented the closeness they would soon have.

"Any time," he replied with a smile. Then, he handed her his business card and a pen that had been tucked into his suit pockets, which she accepted gratefully before writing her number down on it before passing it back to him. "I'll have my secretary contact you with information on your volunteer work and you two can work out a schedule that fits in with your classes."

"Again, thank you so much," she replied, smiling brightly. It was all he could do not to pull her into a kiss at the sight of her beautiful, pouty lips parting just for him.

After their farewells, Kakashi took Sakura by the arm and began to guide her out the door. Madara felt a sudden spike of jealousy that the other man got to touch her so casually, even if it was just because of their father-daughter relationship.

Madara decided that once he and Sakura were married, Hatake would be seeing _much_ less of his daughter.

Soon after the pair was gone, Madara called Shisui for the boy come out front with the limousine. As he waited, a few acquaintances of his greeted him and a few asked about who the people were who had joined him at his private VIP table. It was difficult not to say that it was his intended and her father, but should he say such things, the news would circulate before he'd even made his intentions clear to the girl herself.

And that could _not_ happen.

So it was just his work associate's family for the time being, even though he craved to show the world that Sakura might as well be his wife already.

The ride home was quiet and his house was entirely silent when he arrived. It occurred to him that the silence before had never much bothered him; he'd even found a reprieve in it, in a way. However, after meeting Sakura and falling in love with her, that very same silence had begun to haunt him.

However, as Madara fell asleep that night, he knew that things would not stay that way for much longer.

* * *

_Yup, Madara's obsessed._

_That's all._

_Please review, you wonderful people!_


	4. Many Awkward Silences

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* * *

When Sakura received a phone call from an unknown number at eight in the morning the next day, she was admittedly a little irritated. Who the hell called that early in the morning?

Sleepily, she answered her phone. "Ohayo, this is Haruno Sakura."

"Haruno-san," came a deep but feminine voice over the phone. "My name is Takahashi Ume. I am contacting you on behalf of Uchiha Corp. Madara-sama told me you were interested in volunteering at the company hospital?"

Immediately, all remainders of drowsiness and bad attitude evaporated. "Yes, I am."

She couldn't help but ponder at how quickly he'd gotten to following up on what he'd said—while she'd been grateful for the offer, she certainly hadn't expected him to be so prompt about getting her the position. Then again, given how he'd commanded the waiter around last night and his imperious way of carrying himself, she wasn't really surprised. It was more the fact that he'd gone to so much trouble for her.

In a way, that made her feel warm inside—it was so rare for someone to be so altruistic. She found herself admiring his selflessness on her behalf.

"Good, good," Ume replied. She paused then. "I hope this is a good time to set up your schedule?"

Sakura blinked, surprised that there wasn't an interview or questions about her abilities or schooling. There was the small niggling of suspicion in the back of her head, but she paid it no mind and squashed it. Madara just probably trusted that she knew what she was doing…right? "No, no, this is fine."

"Very well. Madara-sama informed me you are in school. What time are your classes?"

"I have class from 8am to 10:30am and then 1:30pm to 4pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have class from 11am to 4pm. I don't have anything on any other days."

"Hmm," Ume hummed as she thought. "And what are your goals in volunteering for Uchiha Corp.?"

This was more like what she had expected. "I'm in premed at the moment at Tokyo University right now, in the last semester of my third year. I want to start getting practical experience as it's recommended for premed students." She hesitated, then went on, "I know I don't have a lot of free time to volunteer, but I will definitely do my best to meet your expectations. I promise I'll work hard if you accept me."

Ume chuckled, as though she was sharing her own private joke. Sakura's brow furrowed but didn't question it. "Don't worry, Haruno-san, you're already in. Madara-sama spoke highly of you." Ume paused and Sakura was given a moment to wonder why the Uchiha was going to such lengths for her—it was so very kind of him, but it also made her feel somewhat uncomfortable for a reason she couldn't fathom. "Can you do Fridays? Most employees don't come in on the weekends and there's not a lot of need for volunteers then."

"Absolutely," Sakura replied. "What time?"

"Well, given that you're in school and you primarily need to focus on that, how about ten in the morning to three in the afternoon?"

"That's perfect!" Sakura was ecstatic that this was working out all so perfectly. "Thank you so much, Takahashi-san. I really appreciate this."

"Not at all, the pleasure is all mine," Ume replied, and strangely enough, there was a hint of smugness in her voice. Sakura didn't have time to ponder that though. "Now, since today is Friday, I don't expect you to come in. However, would you mind checking in on Saturday so that one of the RNs can show you the ropes?"

"That's just fine," Sakura told her. "What time should I come in?"

"Just as though it was your regular shift, so 10am. However, I'm sure you'll be leaving earlier than three—there really isn't much that goes on during the weekends."

"Thank you so much," Sakura said gratefully. "I'll be there."

"Very well. Thank you for your time, Haruno-san."

"No, no, thank _you._" She paused for a moment, hesitating, and then said, "Please tell Madara-sama that I really appreciate his help in this and that I'll repay him in any way I can."

There was a silence that ensued that felt rather awkward and Sakura wondered if she'd overstepped some boundary that she hadn't been aware of. Then, "Of course, Haruno-san. I'll let him know."

Ume's voice was softer now, tentative, as though Sakura had said something either unexpected or something she shouldn't have. Before she could think any deeper into the matter, however, Ume was going on.

"Well, Haruno-san, I'll see you tomorrow. When you arrive, just ask for Takahashi Ume and they'll send you to me so I can show you the way."

"Thank you, Takahashi-san."

"Good-bye."

The phone line went dead.

Sakura was left feeling rather uncomfortable at how abruptly the conversation had taken a downward turn, starting when she'd asked Ume to thank Madara for her. She wondered what she'd said wrong—had she broken some unspoken etiquette by wanting to show her appreciation?

Shaking her head to rid herself of the annoying, unwanted thoughts, she laid back down in her bed and closed her eyes to go to sleep once more.

* * *

Ume felt rather uncomfortable relaying Sakura's words to her boss, but she knew it was definitely something he would want to hear, even if Sakura had had no idea how they might be interpreted when she'd spoken them.

The older woman couldn't deny that even with the pay raise she still felt uncomfortable setting the girl up like this. She would do it without complaint, of course, but it still didn't really sit right with her.

She only hoped that Sakura would find some sort of attraction for Madara quickly because it would truly be a tragedy if this turned out to be completely against her will. Ume knew she would do nothing about it—she wasn't so naïve to think that she could make any difference in the situation and she didn't lack so much self-preservation that she would get in Madara's way, thereby endangering herself. Still, she hoped that this Haruno Sakura would, in the end, find some peace with what was going to happen to her soon.

Later, after it had come out that she'd read Madara's file on Sakura, he had told her the extent of what he had planned, of course having her sign a nondisclosure form that would bind her legally to keep it quiet. Even if the paperwork hadn't been signed, Ume knew better than to cross one of the most powerful and influential men in Japan. Then, with the stipulation of a pay raise and a few other perks to her job, she had been employed into helping the plan move forward. Before, she'd only acted upon Madara's will, not knowing what it was she was helping with—now, she acted with the knowledge that she was doing something morally reprehensible.

It wasn't enough to change her behavior.

Ume admitted to herself—or perhaps it was just a form of rationalization for her part in all this—that Madara was not a bad man to be forced to marry. Even though she was not attracted to those of his gender, she understood that he was found attractive by many women and had never had trouble picking one up. In fact, it was almost ironic that he would choose one of the few who didn't seem enraptured by him and who he would actually have to force to be with him—Ume only hoped that Sakura could learn to see what other women saw in him and adjusted to her situation.

Madara had made it quite clear that having this leverage over the girl was _very_ important. That could only mean that she wouldn't come easily or willingly.

Knocking on the thick wooden door that led to Madara's office on the top floor of the building, she waited for her boss to allow her to enter. After a few moments, he called her in.

"I just spoke with Haruno," she said calmly, burying her qualms about the situation expertly. "She is to work Fridays from ten to three."

Madara raised a displeased eyebrow. "Only Fridays?"

"Her classes interfere with the rest of the week—she's full-time at Tokyo University and I wanted to ensure that she had no hesitation about volunteering."

Still looking rather dissatisfied, Madara nodded. "Very well then."

"Also, she wanted me to convey her thanks to you…and she said she wanted to repay you in any way that she could."

Ume felt a chill run down her spine at the cold, triumphant look on the Uchiha's face at her words.

"How exactly did she say it?" he wondered, but the smirk on his face didn't fade.

"She said that she appreciated your help in this and that she would like to repay you in any way she could. Paraphrased, but the very same message."

His lips curled into a malicious smirk. "Thank you for your help, Ume-san. Any word on the proposal with Hiashi-san?"

Ume went on to inform her boss of the other goings-on in the business, but there was a gleam in Madara's eyes that showed he wasn't really focusing on what she was saying. It didn't matter, she told herself; she was feeling discomfited by the look in his eyes and was anxious to get out of the office. The sooner the report was over, the better.

She hated to admit it, but even after knowing Madara all these years and having worked as his personal assistant for seven, she could still be frightened of him at times. She knew better than probably anyone that the man had a dark side to him that, while rarely seeing the light of day, was very present and spoke of a madness that few could stand up against. It was hidden beneath a charming exterior and commanding presence that could make anybody grow to like him in a short conversation or cow them into submission with a few words, respectively, but Uchiha Madara was truly not a man to be trifled with. There was a part of him that was clearly, undoubtedly, a little insane.

The most recent manifestation of this insanity was his obsession with the Haruno girl and Ume couldn't help but feel sorry for her. When Madara got like this, there was very little that could stop him from getting what he wanted. She'd seen it elsewhere with business mergers, product development, and a myriad of other things, but it had never targeted a human being.

As she was dismissed and she excused herself from the office, Ume forced the thoughts from her mind, telling herself that there was nothing she could do—nothing she _wanted_ to do if she wanted to maintain her comfortable, extravagant lifestyle. She wasn't about to sacrifice herself for someone she barely knew, especially since the sacrifice would be all but futile.

Taking the elevator down to the next floor, where her office was along with a few other executives', Ume decided she was going to focus on something else.

Throwing herself into her work, she did just that.

* * *

Sakura stood in front of the large house that Sasuke called home and felt distinctly nervous.

She'd been there a few times in the past with Naruto, but they usually met elsewhere. Uchiha Mikoto, Sasuke's mother, was fond of her, even though his father, Fugaku, seemed a little disapproving of her presence by Sasuke's side. Sakura was almost positive it wasn't personal—Fugaku was somewhat snobby in her opinion and it was simply the fact that she wasn't of the same aristocratic stock as his son that he disliked her. Sakura knew for certain that Fugaku disliked Naruto. The man didn't exactly try to disguise it, but even though Sasuke thought very highly of his father and wanted his approval, it hadn't stopped him from being with his friends.

However, it wasn't Sasuke's family that was making her nervous. It was Friday afternoon and Fugaku would not be home. She was more nervous about the fact that she would be with Sasuke in his home, probably in his room, _alone_. Even though she knew they were just friends she couldn't help but feel a little jittery at the fact that she would be the entire focus of his attention—she knew it was for the sake of school, but the feeling was there nonetheless.

Walking up to the front door, she rapped her knuckles lightly on the door. It took a few moments for someone to answer and in those moments, she attempted to take a few deep breaths and calm down her excitement and nervousness simultaneously.

The door finally opened and she was faced with Mikoto's beaming smile. "Hello, Sakura-chan! Sasuke told me you'd be coming by."

"Hello, Mikoto-san," she said almost shyly, then cursed herself. She could _not _act differently now. It would be an obvious tell that she still saw Sasuke as more than a friend. That was unacceptable; it might ruin everything!

"Come in, come in!" Mikoto said happily, ushering her inside. Sakura shifted the backpack on her shoulder to relieve the pressure of her books as she slipped off her shoes at the entrance before Mikoto led past the foyer. "Sasuke!" she called. "Sakura-chan's here!"

There was the sound of a door opening and then footsteps before Sasuke appeared in the living room. "Hey, Sakura," he said quietly. She waved and smiled, trying to disguise her peaking nervousness.

Why was this happening now? She hadn't felt so…so…_fangirly_ in years!

"Hey, Sasuke," she said.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get to work."

"I'll bring snacks in a little bit!" Mikoto called after them. Sakura turned to thank her and then-

Did Mikoto just_ wink _at her?

Flushing, Sakura swallowed with some difficulty and followed Sasuke down the hallway to his room.

His room was simple with beige carpet and the standard-issue futon bed, although it was twice the normal size. The room's colors were the navy of the Uchiha clan, black, and beige. The bed was in the corner, across from the closet, and there was a desk with a sleek, expensive laptop on top of it and a chair pulled out of it as though it had recently been sat in.

"We can just sit on the floor," he said. "Did you bring your laptop and everything?"

Sakura cleared her throat. Right, business. "Of course," she teased. "Did you think I was going to write it on paper?"

He shrugged and they sat down after he picked up his own laptop and perched it on his crossed legs. "This paper is going to be a pain in the ass," he grumbled as he opened up a new Word document.

"Tell me about it," Sakura replied as she did the same, then pulling out her copy of MacBeth. "Why is this even necessary? I'm going into medicine—it's not like I'm going to be going to Europe or America any time soon. It's not needed for my degree."

Sasuke grunted in agreement and they proceeded to bounce ideas off each other and compose their papers.

Mikoto came in a little later on with a plate of delicious dango for Sakura and tomato slices for Sasuke. Sakura admittedly wasn't that hungry—Sasuke was throwing her off with the odd looks he'd been throwing her throughout the essay-writing session and it was making her stomach do weird little flips that she did _not_ appreciate.

They continued to work uninterrupted after Mikoto left and an hour and a half later, Sakura typed the last sentence of her paper.

"Kami," she said grumpily. "That was probably the most mind-numbing thing I've ever had to do for school, ever."

Sasuke nodded in agreement and closed his laptop with a soft _click_. The silence that ensued was rather awkward, in Sakura's opinion, and she was quite aware that she was on the verge of overstaying her welcome.

"Well, thanks," she said at last. "I'd probably better get going then, huh?"

Sasuke frowned at her and, startled, she frowned right back at him.

"What?"

"You've been acting weird."

She frowned more deeply. "What do you mean?" Internally, she was panicking. Had he caught on to her secret attraction to him? Impossible. Sure, she'd been a nervous wreck at the start, but she felt as though she'd been able to adjust well enough to their normal interactions.

He shook his head. "Never mind. Do you want to stay for dinner?"

Sakura froze. He was looking at her with an odd glint in his eyes that she couldn't identify.

"Uh…what?"

He glared at her, seemingly irritated. Was that…was he _blushing?_ No, of course not. "Dinner. Do you want to stay for it?" he deadpanned.

"Oh, uh—sure! Of course." Now _she_ was blushing. And she was very, very aware of it.

"This is what I mean. You've been weird."

Sakura swallowed and averted her eyes. "I don't know why," she lied. "I guess…it's just weird without Naruto?" She chanced a glance in his direction and he was scowling.

"Why is it weird without him?"

Did he have to ask all these invasive questions? She could lie well enough, but she did her best not to practice that skill when she didn't have to. Apparently, though, she was going to have to now because he was asking questions he really didn't want the answer to. It would ruin their friendship. She didn't want to let her unrequited feelings to destroy what was already just fine.

Before she realized it, the silence had stretched on for far too long.

He leaned forward and it was then that Sakura realized how close they had sat down next to each other. It had been ample space when they were on their laptops, but with the laptops gone it suddenly felt like he was right next to her.

"Do you still have feelings for me?" he asked softly.

Sakura blanched. No, no, _not good!_

"Of course not!" she said, luckily able to temper her voice so it wasn't high-pitched and shrill.

That odd glint in his eyes disappeared and for some reason, Sakura was sad to see it go, even if it had been making her more anxious than it really should have.

"Hn." He turned away.

She swallowed thickly and chanced her own question. "Why?" As soon as it came out, she knew it had come out the wrong way. Quickly, she rectified, "I mean, why would you ask that? It's been three years since that…happened."

Still not looking at her, he shrugged. "I don't know. I was just curious."

She frowned, a little irritated at his blasé. "Even if I did, it would just complicate things. So it doesn't matter, right?"

"So you _do_ have feelings for me?"

Sakura spluttered. "No! I already said I didn't!" Blood rushed to her face and she couldn't help but hate the fact that he was being so persistent about this. Did he just want their friendship to crumble?

He leveled her with a hard look under which she got the distinct impression he knew she was lying. She wanted to insist further that she did _not _have feelings for him, but at the moment she didn't trust her tone of voice not to tell the truth.

It was dead quiet and completely awkward when neither budged on this issue. The staring contest, a battle of wills, was wearing on Sakura's already-frayed nerves and she finally looked away.

"Maybe dinner isn't such a good idea," she said softly, picking up her laptop and sliding it back into her backpack along with the copy of MacBeth. She stood up, ready to leave.

"Sakura," he said suddenly, and she turned back to him questioningly. He was standing now, directly in front of her. She was very aware of their height difference—she noticed vaguely that he was tall, but not as tall as Madara.

_Wait_, where did that thought come from?

"What?" she asked, hoping her voice hadn't come out breathy like it sounded it had.

"Let me try something. Don't freak out."

Her eyebrows rose impossibly high and she took a step back instinctively. "Uh, oka-"

He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against hers.

* * *

_The plot thickens..._

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	5. Reactions and Consequences

_Hey guys!_

_So, this chapter is crappy. I acknowledge that. I hope you can forgive me._

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* * *

**5**

**-Reactions and Consequences-**

Inhaling sharply, Sakura went stiff with shock. Was this…was this really happening? Was Uchiha Sasuke, the love of her life, actually _kissing _her right now?

He pulled away after a moment, frowning.

"Yeah, you'd better go." He began to walk towards the door to open it for her.

"No, no, no, Uchiha Sasuke! You do _not _just kiss a girl and then just tell her to leave!" she said angrily. She wasn't sure if anger was the right reaction in this situation—inside she was shrieking in delight and fireworks were going off in her head—but she had no idea how else to respond.

He turned around, crossing his arms, and looked at her stonily. She flinched at the coldness in his eyes and she cursed her tear ducts, which had decided to make her eyes very watery. She wasnotupset by this. She was _not_. Not at all.

"Fine," she said, resisting the urge to wipe her eyes and blinking rapidly to disperse the tears gathering there. "Can I at least know what that was all about? As your friend, I think I deserve an explanation."

She ignored the fact that her voice wobbled when she said 'friend.'

"I just wanted to know."

"If I have feelings for you?" she clarified. "Why? Why is this so important to you?" She couldn't help that her tone was demanding and perhaps a little hysterical, but this whole thing was destroying her nervous system. Her stress levels were through the roof and having her carefully buried feelings dredged up like this was excruciatingly painful.

He sighed and something about him seemed to melt.

When he spoke, his tone was laced with exasperation, but there was also something very vulnerable about his expression. "It's not like it matters anymore, but I might have…I might be…"

She leaned forward unthinkingly, her heart racing.

Sasuke scowled. "I might have had a little crush on you, okay?"

Sakura was stunned. This was more shocking than the kiss and all this surprise in such a short period of time could not be, in any way, good for her health.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Hn."

She hesitated, shifting from one foot to the other. "Uh…was that…past tense?"

He glared at her. "I just kissed you. What do you think?"

She felt like she was going to choke with how tight her throat was. "This isn't some sick joke, is it?"

Sasuke's patience ran out. "Can we just drop it already? It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"I just don't-"

"Kami, Sakura-"

"-think it's very funny-"

"-just drop it-"

"because I really-"

"-It's not a big-"

"-have been in love with you this whole time-"

"deal and—_What?_"

The garbled conversation came to a sudden halt. She had just poured out her heart—admittedly in a very rushed and inarticulate sort of way—and now the ball was in Sasuke's court.

"Can you repeat that?" he asked slowly.

Sakura cleared her throat and tried to sound as confident as possible. "I never stopped having feelings for you, Sasuke."

A single black brow rose incredulously. Then, "You're ridiculous."

She huffed lightly, but inside she was deeply wounded. Sakura quickly blinked back the tears that immediately welled up. "Yeah, well, that's how it is." She averted her gaze the ceiling, mortified.

"I was going to ask you to that dance. Do you remember?"

Sakura's breath caught in her throat.

The day that Sakura had told Sasuke that she just wanted to be friends with him and she would stop pursuing him because she no longer had feelings for him like that, that she genuinely cared for him as a person and this fangirling thing wasn't really her, it had been a week before the winter dance that their upper high school had every year. She had wanted so badly to go with Sasuke, but she'd realized that it was never going to happen and she would rather be able to go with him as a friend rather than as someone who would be hanging on his arm, begging for a dance like a dog would a bone.

Finally, she managed an incredulous laugh. "You're joking."

"Actually, I'm not."

Blinking back her tears suddenly became a counterintuitive effort because instead of dispersing them, it pushed them from her eyes down her cheeks. "R-really?"

He nodded.

"Then, this whole time…?"

He nodded again jerkily.

She laughed and it was caught somewhere before a sob and a gasp. The tears started trickling faster and she made a futile effort to wipe her eyes—it didn't matter because he was watching her closely, but she had hoped to keep some kind of composure through this whole thing.

"Would you not get so emotional over this?" he grumbled uncomfortably.

She laughed for real this time, but it was accompanied by sniffling. "I just—I just can't believe it. Why did you wait so long? Are you sure this isn't a-"

"It's not a joke," he nearly growled. "Kami, why can't you believe me?" He ran a hand through his hair in irritation.

"Why did you wait so long?" she asked, almost begging. If he had felt this way the entire time, why keep it under wraps for _three years_?

"Like a fool, I actually believed you," he said, a little coldly. "I just had to find out though, because it wasn't going away."

Sakura was now doing some kind of mixture between laughing and crying. "I-I can't b-believe this," she said. She was doing her best to contain herself, but she was so relieved and happy and joyful and terrified all at once that it was something of an overload.

"Would you stop that?" he said, motioning to her crying. She shook her head and awkwardly, he wrapped his arms around this. "If you're really in love with me like you said, you should be happy." It almost sounded like he was complaining.

"I _am _happy," she mumbled into his chest. Tentatively, she hugged him back. "I just…kind of can't believe it."

"So you said," he replied dryly.

When she had suitably calmed herself down, he released her and she wiped her face a final time. "So…"

He caught the unspoken question. "You're my girlfriend now."

"Wow, romantic," she teased, still sniffling a little. He scowled at her and she laughed. "Okay."

They stood there awkwardly for just a little longer before suddenly Mikoto popped her head in.

"Dinner's ready! Sakura, are you stay-" she exclaimed cheerfully before noticing Sasuke's disconcerted expression and Sakura's red, tear-streaked face. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, okaa-san," Sasuke replied, pulling Sakura close him. Sakura herself beamed happily.

"Everything's _perfect_, Mikoto-san."

Mikoto glanced from Sasuke to Sakura and back again before a knowing look appeared in her eyes and she smiled.

"Good. Now, come. Your father's home, so it's time for dinner." She turned to Sasuke and whispered conspiratorially, "I'm on your side, so don't worry about his reaction."

Sasuke stiffened, as though he hadn't really considered that issue, and Sakura realized that she'd forgotten just how uncanny a mother's intuition could be sometimes.

Sakura dropped her backpack to the ground again and Sasuke threaded his fingers through her hand. Together, they walked out of his bedroom and to the dining room.

Sakura could only hope that Fugaku didn't throw too big of a fit.

* * *

In the end, Fugaku gave a noncommittal "hmm" and managed to look distinctly unhappy, but otherwise dinner went fine. Sakura suspected that the warning glances Mikoto shot him were sufficient to keep him quiet for the time being, although there was certain to be backlash later. However, Sasuke assured her that his father wouldn't be able to change his mind.

It didn't matter though. She was now Uchiha Sasuke's girlfriend and nothing could be going more perfectly!

It was why she had a bubbly bounce in her step as she made her way towards the giant skyscraper that was Uchiha Corp.'s main office. She had done a little research on the company last night after Sasuke walked her home—and of course called Ino to tell her the news—because she wanted to make sure that she knew her facts.

Much to her surprise, she realized she had to have been blind to not know that Madara was the owner of the company. It wasn't like it was a well-kept secret.

Upon searching for Uchiha Corp.'s webpage, she'd also come across many articles about Uchiha Madara, the man who had so generously offered her the position that she was now preparing for. Out of curiosity she read one and then, fascinated, she read more and more.

Uchiha Madara had been born to the clan head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Masashi, and his wife, Uchiha Kayuya. He had become the youngest clan head in the last two hundred years when his parents were killed in a car crash, taking the title at only twenty-one years old. He had a younger brother, Izuna, but there wasn't much information on him other than an article about his unfortunate blindness and the affect it had had on Madara's performance with the company. Madara had been raised for the takeover of Uchiha Corp. and there was lots of praise for his efforts, although she had found an particularly critical article citing that "Uchiha is a ruthless businessman with little sympathy for the millions of lives he affects every day." In the comments, however, many had accused the author, Nichura Yamika, of being a 'woman scorned.'

That had led her to come across the magazine headliners she'd previously anticipated about Madara being one of the most eligible bachelors of the year. The most recent, where he was number one, he had told the journalist that he had someone in mind but was not ready to take the next step yet. The article had only been published a month ago and Sakura had felt somewhat sorry for him—maybe that was the woman who had stood him up at Akimichi's?

Newly-acquired information whirling through her head and a newfound respect for the man who had in effect hired her, Sakura entered the lobby of the Uchiha Corp. building and walked up to the front desk, where a woman with a smile on her face greeted her.

"Hello, how may I help you?" she asked, not unkindly, but she clearly thought Sakura had wandered into the wrong building.

"I was told to ask for Takahashi Ume-san," Sakura said politely, ignoring the slight condescension in the receptionist's tone. "My name is Haruno Sakura."

The woman's brown eyes widened momentarily before she quickly nodded. "I'll page her down, just take a seat over there, please."

Taking a seat on one of the many couches in the main lobby, Sakura mused on the receptionist's expression when she'd mentioned Takahashi Ume. Obviously, her name-dropping had surprised the older woman and Sakura wondered if Ume was a very important figure in Uchiha Corp. It seemed as though her name held a lot of weight from the receptionist's response.

Not five minutes later did a tall woman with short red hair and cedar green eyes exit the elevator. Surprisingly, she recognized Sakura right away, even though there were a few other people lounging around the lobby.

"Haruno-san," Ume said politely as she bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Sakura stood immediately and bowed back. "The pleasure's all mine, Takahashi-san," she replied with a warm smile. Ume smiled at her in return, but it seemed a little brittle.

"Now that we're introduced, let's get you started." Ume led her to the elevators and pressed the up button after swiping her badge over the scanner on the wall. "You'll be working on the fourth floor, where the hospital is. The hospital is entire fourth floor, so your badge won't be cleared for any other floors except for the forty-fifth."

Sakura nodded as they boarded the elevator. "Why would I be cleared on the forty-fifth, then?"

Ume gave her a secretive smile. "Madara-sama is rather fond of you. How do you think you got the job so quickly?"

Sakura blushed. "Well, I guess I am the same age as Sasuke—his second cousin?" she questioned when Ume cocked her head questioningly.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun," Ume murmured, but it didn't seem directed at Sakura. However, her attention was soon back on the pinkette when she spoke again.

"I've always heard that he's invested in Sasuke's future, so maybe that somehow goes for his friends, too?" Sakura laughed, still blushing. "Madara-sama is so kind. It's almost surprising, really."

The sudden dark look on Ume's face made Sakura wonder if she'd said something wrong, but before she could question the older woman, the elevator dinged and they had arrived on the fourth floor.

Ume exited first, Sakura quickly followed after the woman's brisk pace. All of the nurses and physicians bowed slightly upon seeing Ume walk through their halls and again, Sakura questioned just how important the redhead was.

"Where is Shizune?" Ume questioned the front desk once they had arrived.

The nurse at the station looked up and her eyes widened. "Oh, Takahashi-sama," she said quickly. "Shizune-san is with a patient. She should be out any minute though."

Ume nodded and then turned back to Sakura. Her face showed no trace of the earlier darkness. "After Shizune gets you acquainted with the hospital, don't leave immediately. I'll come get you."

Sakura nodded, a bit confused but willing to trust Ume. She seemed like a good person, if not a little brusque. She assumed it was because she didn't have a badge to let her onto the elevator. That didn't seem right to her somehow, but she ignored the feeling.

"You'll get your badge when you come next Friday. The woman on the first floor will give it to you when you arrive." At the sight of a dark-haired woman coming down from the hallway opposite them, Ume waved her hand. "Shizune-san, come here."

The woman who approached look stern and serious, but not necessarily unfriendly. "What is it you need, Takahashi-sama?"

Damn, Sakura thought. Everyone was calling her Takahashi-_sama_. Had she accidentally offended the woman by calling her '-san?' Sakura hoped not, but it seemed she had made a huge social blunder. Ume showed no sign of it, but that didn't mean she hadn't screwed up.

Ume interrupted her thoughts. "Shizune-san, this is Haruno Sakura. She's the new volunteer." At this, Sakura smiled at her and bowed. Shizune's eyes lit up in recognition. "Haruno-san, this is Katou Shizune. She will be your supervisor."

"Nice to meet you, Haruno-san. You can just call me Shizune, everyone does." Shizune's smile was warm and friendly and Sakura decided immediately that she would like this woman.

"Then you can call me Sakura," she replied. For some reason, such a bold thing didn't feel uncomfortable for her.

"Alright, Sakura-san. Let's get to work." Shizune glanced at Ume for permission to leave.

Ume nodded. "Remember Sakura, call for me before you leave."

Sakura nodded and, waving, followed Shizune to learn what she would be doing for the indefinite future.

It turned out that Sakura was a natural and the three hours it took to get used to what she would be doing were easy and fast. Shizune was a good teacher and explained things thoroughly before letting Sakura try things for herself. She would only be doing things closer to janitorial work than anything, but Shizune promised her that if she worked hard and long enough that they would give her more responsibility. It was more than Sakura could have ever hoped for.

As Ume had asked her to, Sakura had Shizune page her when before she left. It was then that she asked Shizune what exactly Ume did for the company.

"Oh, she's Uchiha-sama's personal assistant," Shizune told her. "If you know Uchiha-sama personally, then it's no surprise he got you in so quickly."

Sakura wanted to hit herself on the head. Takahashi- _sama_. How could she have missed it?

Promptly, Ume arrived and she waved Sakura over to the elevator. She pressed the button for the forty-fifth floor and suddenly, Sakura was very confused.

"Why…?" she asked.

"Madara-sama wants to see you," Ume replied. "You're a personal…investment, so to speak." It did not escape Sakura that Ume sounded slightly uncomfortable saying this, but she didn't think it would be wise to press. However, it did confirm that Madara cared for her like he cared for Sasuke and that kind of benevolence made her grin stupidly inwardly. It was pretty nice to have such a powerful man invested in her future. Networking was one of the easiest ways to get into good jobs and although she didn't want to take advantage of Madara's influence or presence in her life, she couldn't deny that it was exciting for all these possibilities to be opening up for her.

They arrived on their floor, only stopped once by someone going onto a higher level and then getting off before they did. Sakura made sure to send Sasuke a text that he could come by soon to pick her up because they were going on a date after this.

A _date _with _Sasuke! _Internally, she was squealing in happiness.

Ume led her through a hallway towards the far end of the building before stopping in front of a heavy oaken door and knocking lightly.

"Come in," came Madara's voice.

Suddenly, Sakura felt a little nervous. How should she react to him? How could she possibly thank him for his kindness?

Ume opened the door and motioned for Sakura to enter. Almost shuffling her feet, Sakura tentatively entered the large office, where Madara sat behind a computer at his desk.

"Ah, Sakura-san," he greeted cordially as she entered. Silently, Ume closed the door behind them and Sakura felt her senses prickle almost uncomfortably at being alone with him. She felt acutely discomfited, but she told herself it was because she had no way to repay this man for his benevolence. "I hope everything went well?"

She smiled, his gentle tone placating her nerves a bit. "Yes, Madara-sama. It went very well. I wanted to say thank you so much for this opportunity. I won't disappoint you."

He chuckled, leaning back in his chair and motioning for her to take a seat in one of the plush chairs across from him. "I doubt you will," he replied. "You have a lot of potential."

"Thank you. I really don't know how I can repay you for all this. You've been so kind to me."

There was a sudden gleam in his eyes that made her acutely uncomfortable. It was dark and foreboding and looked out of place coupled with his kind expression. "I don't require payment for doing you a favor," he told her. "A good deed begets a good deed."

Still, it didn't feel right to just be taking from him like this. He said it was a favor, so that still meant she was indebted to him, right? And she didn't want to leave any loose strings. "I know there's not much I can hope to offer you, but really. I'd feel bad if I couldn't do anything for you in return."

Madara seemed to muse on this for a moment before smirking. "If you're so insistent, would you allow me to take you out to dinner?"

Sakura reddened immediately. Was he actually offering to take her on a date? That didn't seem right at all—she was much too young for him. Maybe it was platonic? "Do you mean…like friends?" she asked almost timidly.

His smirk widened. "No, not exactly."

Sakura swallowed. She was about to reject a very powerful person and that could turn out to be a very bad thing. Madara was too nice to punish her for not feeling that way about him though, right? She had no idea how he'd developed these feelings in the first place, or perhaps he thought that he could get easy sex out of her? It didn't seem like that was the case, but she couldn't banish the thought from her mind. Suddenly, she felt dirty, like she'd prostituted herself.

"Well…I'm kind of dating Sasuke now…" she said, unable to make eye contact. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees and she shivered. "But…as friends it would be great!" she quickly amended, glancing at him to assess the damage she'd just caused.

However, his expression was nowhere near thunderous or angry, not even slightly offended, which confused her because she _couldn't _be imagining how cold the room just got for that moment. "Very well, Sakura-san. As friends." He smiled, a placating expression on his face. "It's quite alright. Never hurts to try though, hm? Especially for a beautiful young lady such as yourself."

She tried to smile, but found herself too full of questions. "You didn't offer me this position because of…that, did you?"

His expression was genuinely confused. "No, of course not. Sasuke has told me much about your goals and I only wanted to aid you."

Mollified, Sakura gave him a genuine smile. "Oh, okay. I just didn't want there to be any misconceptions, you know? Still, thank you so much."

He nodded. "You're very welcome. Now, what time would be good for you?" When he saw the uncertain look on her face, he amended, "As friends, of course."

Sakura was surprised that he was still interested in taking her out to dinner when she'd already told him that she wasn't interested in him romantically, but she supposed she _did_ owe him that much at least. "Well, after six on most days I'm free."

"Next Friday then?" he asked. "Seven o'clock?"

She nodded. "That would be fine. Where will we be going?"

"It's a surprise," he said, mischief twinkling in his black eyes, and Sakura got the distinct feeling he hadn't given up whatever attraction he had for her. However, she had made it clear she wasn't interested in him that way and there was nothing else she could do except to cancel the event altogether, which would be very unwise in her position.

Pushing her suspicions aside, she said playfully, "Well, if I end up over- or underdressed, I blame you."

"And I'll take full responsibility," he responded in an equally playful tone. "So, I'll pick you up at seven on Friday?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'd better get going, though, Madara-sama," she told him. "Sasuke-kun's going be picking me up soon."

She thought she caught a flash of something dark in his eyes, but it was gone too quickly to tell. "Very well, then, Sakura-san. I'll see you then."

She grinned at him and waved. "Alright. See you then!"

She showed herself out. She'd have to tell Sasuke about the dinner just so there weren't any misunderstandings. She knew there wouldn't be—there was no way she would be unfaithful to him after pining for him for so many years.

Ume showed up soon to let her down, but told her that she would not be accompanying her out the door. That was fine with Sakura, so she said goodbye to her and impatiently waited for the elevator to reach her floor. After several stops for more passengers, she arrived.

Sasuke was waiting for her at the door. "Hello, Sasuke-kun!" she greeted happily.

"How'd it go?" he asked, taking her hand as they exited the building.

"It went great. Shizune-san showed me all this stuff…"

* * *

Ume blanched upon entering Madara's office. Things had clearly not gone well.

He sat behind his desk with a truly horrifying glower on his face, his fingers laced in front of him as he fumed.

"Put the motions in for Hatake to be dismissed," he said lowly, his voice frigid.

Ume stiffened. Things had clearly gone very _badly_. "Yes, sir." When Madara was this furious, the more respect she showed the better it was for her job.

"Pull every string you have to. By Friday of next week, I want her suspended from Tokyo University and I want Hatake to know he is on _very _thin ice. Call Hyuuga Hiashi and have the entire family's bank accounts frozen on Wednesday night. I want an eviction notice delivered to them Thursday and make sure that any inquiries for a new apartment under the name of Hatake Kakashi are denied. _Close off_ _every single avenue for her to escape._"

Ume was trembling from the sheer force of Madara's rage in the room. She was terrified for the Haruno girl and it was unfortunate because the pinkette had seemed sweet and kind. Still, she said nothing.

"As you wish, Madara-sama."

* * *

_Shit just got real._

_Review!_


End file.
